As far as the east is from the west

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
June 30, 2009

As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12)

My prayer: Father, I stand in complete amazement of Your unrelenting love for Your children. Thank You for the blood of Your Son and the eternal grace that You pour out upon us. It seems so unbelievable that You choose to remove and forget our many transgressions against you. Yet You do just that! Make us worthy of Your remarkable mercy and grace.

God's Promise to Fight for His People

"The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes…No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 1:30 and Joshua 1:5)

God's promises had guaranteed that Israel would be delivered from bondage in Egypt. Here, God promises to fight for His people, assuring them of victory in battle as they entered the Promised Land.

There would be many battles as God's people went into the land. Ungodly nations would persistently oppose them. Moses, as God's spokesperson, expresses the Lord's commitment to do battle for Israel. "The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you." The Lord had done mighty things for Israel in bringing them out of Egypt. Now, Moses assures them that God will act again on their behalf "according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes."

Later, the Lord Himself reassured Joshua of a similar truth. "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life." Many would try to come against the people of God under Joshua's leadership. Yet, God pledged the same faithfulness to Joshua that Moses had enjoyed. "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you." Then, the Lord added the ultimate words of reassurance. "I will not leave you nor forsake you." When facing the certainty of battles, there is nothing greater than having God committed to always be present to fight against the enemy. The battle report in one region of the Promised Land gave testimony to God's faithful promises. "All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel" (Joshua 10:42).

We are also engaged in warfare, spiritual warfare. "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:3). As spiritual soldiers, we must use spiritual weapons. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). The promises of God are part of our spiritual weaponry. We can stand victorious in battle by the promises of God, just as the Apostle Paul did. "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you…And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them" (Acts 18:9-11).

Dear Lord, the battles rage hot and heavy so often in my life. I thank You for Your promises to fight for me. I rest in Your presence in my life here in the midst of this battlefield called earth, Amen.

Looking to Jesus

Looking unto Jesus. —Hebrews 12:2

It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument—it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus." Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.
"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesu's blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name."

Charles Spurgeon

Eternal living water

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
June 22, 2009

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)

Take heart in the evident promise of your salvation: that always and forever shall your soul be filled to overflowing with abundant and eternal life! Never shall you thirst. Never shall you dry up. Never shall your soul be parched. Rather take joy in this: unto everlasting shall your heart's thirst be quenched as rivers of God's living water pour down from heaven as you bask in the glory of God's own Son: Christ Jesus.

Rejoice for our salvation is secure, no matter what happens to us in this world

That those things which cannot be shaken may remain.--Hebrews 12:27

We have many things in our possession at the present moment which can be shaken, and it ill becomes a Christian man to set much store by them, for there is nothing stable beneath these rolling skies; change is written upon all things. Yet, we have certain "things which cannot be shaken," and I invite you this evening to think of them, that if the things which can be shaken should all be taken away, you may derive real comfort from the things that cannot be shaken, which will remain. Whatever your losses have been, or may be, you enjoy present salvation. You are standing at the foot of His cross, trusting alone in the merit of Jesus' precious blood, and no rise or fall of the markets can interfere with your salvation in Him; no breaking of banks, no failures and bankruptcies can touch that. Then you are a child of God this evening. God is your Father. No change of circumstances can ever rob you of that. Although by losses brought to poverty, and stripped bare, you can say, "He is my Father still. In my Father's house are many mansions; therefore will I not be troubled." You have another permanent blessing, namely, the love of Jesus Christ. He who is God and Man loves you with all the strength of His affectionate nature--nothing can affect that. The fig tree may not blossom, and the flocks may cease from the field, it matters not to the man who can sing, "My Beloved is mine, and I am His." Our best portion and richest heritage we cannot lose. Whatever troubles come, let us play the man; let us show that we are not such little children as to be cast down by what may happen in this poor fleeting state of time. Our country is Immanuel's land, our hope is above the sky, and therefore, calm as the summer's ocean; we will see the wreck of everything earthborn, and yet rejoice in the God of our salvation.

Charles Spurgeon

Can we complain?

We listened to a good sermon this morning about complaining: May we complain? (http://gmbcdothan.googlepages.com/sermons).

I just wanted to pass it along for those interested.

God bless,

Nathalie

Safe in the Lord's hands

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
June 21, 2009

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand. (Psalms 37:24)

From His undying love and grace, God sustains us in all things as we continue to trust in Him. We were firmly established in His love when He removed us from our iniquity and securely planted our feet on the Rock.. Even as we stumble in this life, the Creator of the universe is there to grab hold and bring us to His side. May we commit our way to Him and see His unfailing greatness and mercy each day.

God Is A Shield To Them That Trust In Him

2 Samuel 22:31 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.”

This verse of scripture is a very powerful one; we see it quoted word for word by the Psalmist in Psalms 18:30. “As for God, his way is perfect…” the word “perfect” means that God’s words are entire, truth, or without spot, any of these wonderful terms can fit into it’s place because God’s word are all of them. I know we are a people of little faith because we more times than not find ourselves in doubt whether we know it or not. Beloved in this flesh we will never have total faith in God or in His word; there will always be some doubt somewhere in our lives. We indeed find a number of Christians with more faith than others; however in this flesh we will never have perfect faith in God. The bible tells us to have total faith in Him and in His word and that is certainly our goal. This is the bottom line, that we as Christians can trust God’s word as written because He cannot lie. Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” God’s word is complete because nothing can be nor needs to be added to it. This is why the scripture warns against this. If God is all knowledgeable, then what could anyone (especially one with limited knowledge such as His creation) add to His word. God knows the beginning from the end therefore He knows what will happen tomorrow and this is why we can have complete faith in Him. Acts 15:18 “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”

“the word of the LORD is tried” The word “tried” means tested with fire as though you would melt a silver ring to refine the silver out of it and once finished you have only the pure silver left, beloved this is God’s word, pure as pure can be. Psalms 12:6 “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Beloved you cannot say this about pastor, father, mother, child, or etc. Only God’s words are pure and can be totally trusted. As a pastor I have a great desire never to tell a lie, never to mislead anyone, or etc. however it does happen because I am not God. My words have not been tried with fire, I do not know every possible thing, and I certainly do not know what will happen in the next 5 seconds much less what is on tomorrow. I have taught heresy in my life, because I was biblically wrong on some issues; however I have trusted God’s word and have since been brought to truth. Is every single thing I believe today perfect with God’s word? I simply cannot answer an absolute yes because I am still in the flesh however I have dedicated my life to study to find out. Beloved no man is 100% correct in God’s word but that is no reason not to strive for that perfection. The word of God has been tried and believe one thing it is pure.

“…he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.” The word “buckler” means shield that’s right He is our protector. The word “trust” means those that flee to Him, so look at it this way God’s word is a protecting shield to everyone who flee to Him for protection. We do not know where our nation’s economic woes are going but to those who trust in the Lord and His word will be just fine. Let us not forget we are citizens of this nation both the just and the unjust and when it rains on one it rains on us all. Matthew 5:45 “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” We will all suffer the same economic woes and we as churches will also suffer, but one thing we have that the lost does not have is a God that has promised to continually love us and to continually protect us because He is our buckler and will be as long as our faith is in Him and His word.

Pastor Randy Johnson

The fruits and effects He produce

"When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment." (John 16:8)

Where the Holy Spirit is, there will always be deep conviction of sin--and true repentance for it. It is His special office to convince of sin. He shows the exceeding holiness of God. He teaches the exceeding corruption and infirmity of our nature. He strips us of our blind self-righteousness. He opens our eyes to our awful guilt, folly and danger. He fills the heart with sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence for sin--as the abominable thing which God hates. He who knows nothing of all this, and saunters carelessly through life, thoughtless about sin, and indifferent and unconcerned about his soul, is a dead man before God! He has not the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in a man's heart can only be known by the fruits and effects He produces. Mysterious and invisible to mortal eye as His operations are, they always lead to certain visible and tangible results.Just as you know there is life in a tree by its sap, buds, leaves and fruits--just so you may know the Spirit to be in a man's heart by the influence He exercises over his thoughts, affections, opinions, habits, and life. I lay this down broadly and unhesitatingly. I see it clearly marked out in our Lord Jesus Christ's words, "Every tree is known by his own fruit." (Luke 6:44)

By J. C. Ryle, From his article “The Holy Spirit”

Trust the Lord fully!

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
June 20, 2009

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Give over every concern to the loving and sovereign hand of the Lord. Only He can answer your heart's cry from the vast wealth of His heavenly bounty. Trust in Him. Lean on Him. And He will lead you into all righteousness.

Preserved in Jesus Christ!

For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.
—Amos 9:9

Every sifting comes by divine command and permission. Satan must ask leave before he can lay a finger upon Job. Nay, more, in some sense our siftings are directly the work of heaven, for the text says, "I will sift the house of Israel." Satan, like a drudge, may hold the sieve, hoping to destroy the corn; but the overruling hand of the Master is accomplishing the purity of the grain by the very process which the enemy intended to be destructive. Precious, but much sifted corn of the Lord's floor, be comforted by the blessed fact that the Lord directeth both flail and sieve to His own glory, and to thine eternal profit.

The Lord Jesus will surely use the fan which is in His hand, and will divide the precious from the vile. All are not Israel that are of Israel; the heap on the barn floor is not clean provender, and hence the winnowing process must be performed. In the sieve true weight alone has power. Husks and chaff being devoid of substance must fly before the wind, and only solid corn will remain.

Observe the complete safety of the Lord's wheat; even the least grain has a promise of preservation. God Himself sifts, and therefore it is stern and terrible work; He sifts them in all places, "among all nations"; He sifts them in the most effectual manner, "like as corn is sifted in a sieve"; and yet for all this, not the smallest, lightest, or most shrivelled grain, is permitted to fall to the ground. Every individual believer is precious in the sight of the Lord, a shepherd would not lose one sheep, nor a jeweller one diamond, nor a mother one child, nor a man one limb of his body, nor will the Lord lose one of His redeemed people. However little we may be, if we are the Lord's, we may rejoice that we are preserved in Christ Jesus.

Charles Spurgeon

Man's Promises or God's Promises

Day By Day By Grace
Bob Hoekstra
June 20, 2009

Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." (Exodus 19:7-8)

The promises of the old covenant of law depend upon the performance of man. "You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them" (Leviticus 18:5). The better promises of the new covenant of grace depend upon the performance of God. "I will make a new covenant…I will put My law in their minds" (Jeremiah 31:31, 33).

When man attempts to live under the law (thereby needing to perform up to God's standards by human resources), he typically tries to live by his promises to God. Israel was a vivid example of this futile tendency. "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." This well-intended promise to God was consistently broken. Moses' words are a stinging indictment of the vanity of basing life with God on our promises to Him. "You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you" (Deuteronomy 9:24).

The desire to obey God resides appropriately within the hearts of His children. However, we must find a better way to obedience than relying upon our promises to God. That better way is the path of grace, which offers a life based upon God's promises to man. "I will give you a new heart and [I will] put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and [I will] give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and [I will] cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

We are to live in dependence upon the promises of God to us (instead of relying upon our promises to Him). Living by God's promises produces a growing confidence in the Lord, a confidence that results from His unique character. "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19). Man may make promises to God, but, eventually, he will fail. God is not like man. God is true to His word. He will not lie, nor will He change His mind. Whatever He says, He will do! We can fully rely upon the promises of God that we find in His word.

Lord God of truth, forgive my multiple attempts to develop a Christian walk by my promises to You. Lord, You know how often I have failed. What a joyous option this is—to live in reliance upon Your promises to me! Please teach me how to think and live this way, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Now is the day of salvation

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
June 19, 2009

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Verily: today is the day of salvation! What need is there for delay? Redemption is nigh and the kingdom of God at hand! Rejoice therefore in the Lord and take up your cross to follow after.

Behold, I am vile.
—Job 40:4

One cheering word, poor lost sinner, for thee! You think you must not come to God because YOU are vile. Now, there is not a saint living on earth but has been made to feel that he is vile. If Job, and Isaiah, and Paul were all obliged to say "I am vile," oh, poor sinner, wilt thou be ashamed to join in the same confession? If divine grace does not eradicate all sin from the believer, how dost thou hope to do it thyself? and if God loves His people while they are yet vile, dost thou think thy vileness will prevent His loving thee? Believe on Jesus, thou outcast of the world's society! Jesus calls thee, and such as thou art.

"Not the righteous, not the righteous;
Sinners, Jesus came to call."

Even now say, "Thou hast died for sinners; I am a sinner, Lord Jesus, sprinkle Thy blood on me"; if thou wilt confess thy sin thou shalt find pardon. If, now, with all thy heart, thou wilt say, "I am vile, wash me," thou shalt be washed now. If the Holy Spirit shall enable thee from thy heart to cry

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!"

thou shalt rise from reading this morning's portion with all thy sins pardoned; and though thou didst wake this morning with every sin that man hath ever committed on thy head, thou shalt rest to-night accepted in the Beloved; though once degraded with the rags of sin, thou shalt be adorned with a robe of righteousness, and appear white as the angels are. For "now," mark it, "Now is the accepted time." If thou "believest on Him who justifieth the ungodly thou art saved." Oh! may the Holy Spirit give thee saving faith in Him who receives the vilest.

Charles Spurgeon

By the grace of God

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
June 4, 2009

The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. (Psalms 22:26)

Though you may suffer affliction, never forget the grace of the Lord in your life. The world's afflictions are but for a moment and are continually working for the good of we who believe. But take further heart, O seed of Abraham and child of God! The Lord will surely comfort you in your troubles! And still, such a wondrous hope stands before you—pleasure and joy—that is eternal! There shall be no more pain and no more sorrow. We shall rest in true peace forever.

Repentance

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
June 3, 2009

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:38-39)

Peter talks about the gift of the Holy Spirit which is received after repentance. He then declares this gift to be a promise and that it will remain for all generations. The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to the church on the day of Pentecost and it is still being given to Christians of today's generation. God will not revoke this promise nor refrain from giving it to those that He calls His own.

Godly blessings

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
June 2, 2009

Praise ye the LORD. Blessed [is] the man [that] feareth the LORD, [that] delighteth greatly in his commandments. (Psalms 112:1)

Blessed is the man who repents and believes! God shall give Him that rest promised from the beginning. Yes, the believer shall receive blessing upon blessing in the very gospel promise of Christ Himself. By His obedience unto righteousness, even we to be made righteous. By His death unto the cross, even we are made just. By His resurrection unto life, even we are made unto new life. And by His ascension to His heavenly throne, even we are exalted to His right hand. His eternal Sabbath rest is the Sabbath rest of we, His people. Indeed, we are blessed! Beyond imagining are we blessed!

The Work of the Holy Spirit unto Obedience

Day By Day By Grace
Bob Hoekstra
June 2, 2009

"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." (Ezekiel 36:27)

When we placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we were born again. We were made new in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). We received a new spiritual heart, as promised of old. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:26).
Now, how does a new creature in Christ grow in a life of obedience? Our natural thinking might assume that a Christian could grow in obedience by simply doing his best to walk in the will of God. The next verse in Ezekiel's prophecy reveals that God has a better plan in mind. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes." The born again follower of Jesus is not designed to operate on his own best efforts. The Holy Spirit is to be the heavenly dynamic in developing a life of obedience.

A disobedient life would include attitudes and actions that our fallen physical bodies naturally crave. These are to be taken to the cross, to be rendered as crucified with Christ. "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience" (Colossians 3:5-6). The Holy Spirit wants to enable us to respond properly concerning such carnal desires. "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Romans 8:13). These fallen, natural cravings are described as the "lusts of the flesh" in Galatians. They are overcome as we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

Again, this work of the Holy Spirit is not automatic or "robotic." Rather, it is a relational matter. It is realized in our lives through humble dependence. It is possible to suppress the work of the Holy Spirit in us. "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). It is when we depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead us in the path of obedience that we will truly live as obedient children of God. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

Lord God of my salvation, I desire to walk in obedience to You. I confess that I often rely upon my own resources, attempting to produce obedience. Lord, please work deep in my heart by the power of Your Holy Spirit and lead me in paths of righteousness, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Trusting Jesus

Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly does His Spirit shine
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way is clear,
Praying if the path be drear;
If in danger for Him call;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last,
Trusting Him till earth be past;
Till within the jasper wall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/HH_Trusting_Jesus.html

Addicted to the Ministry

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

Referring to the house of Stephanas, the Apostle Paul wrote: “...they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints...” (I Cor. 16:15) He also wrote to the church at Corinth that he was glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus came “for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. For they refreshed my spirit and your’s...” (I Cor 16:17-18)
It is a wonderful loveliness to behold brothers and sisters in Christ addicted to ministering to other brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all familiar with the horrible addictions of drugs, of alcohol and such like. However, in the Scriptures we are shown a heaven sent, gracious addiction - ministering to the saints. Oh, I would to God that this addiction would spread like wildfire among the Lord’s churches. There is a desperate need for this type of addiction.
The word “ministry or ministering” means to render service, or to give care to someone. It is the gracious, loving tender care one precious saint physically or spiritually gives to another saint in need of uplifting. This is an extremely rare and valuable gift of grace. Its treasure is far beyond the wealth of earthly man. It is brotherly love in action, an outpouring of the love of God toward others.
In this generation of self-esteem, the majority of folks are esteeming themselves above all others. It is a “what’s in it for me” and “you owe it to me” society. Everyone wants to be the one that others lift up and serve. “And if you don’t play it my way, I’ll take my marbles and go home.” Self-centeredness has become a massive, destructive, and infectious plague upon many of the Lord’s churches. “Me for me and all for me” seems to be the order of the day amongst the saints. “God, here am I, use me” are rare words today. God save us from ourselves!
True Biblical Christ-likeness compels the saints to give themselves for the sake of others. An addiction only desires to satisfy its cravings with a sufficient amount of that to which it is addicted. Thus, if one were addicted to the ministry of the saints, there would be no mountain too high, no sea too wide, and no “self” too big to satisfy the addiction of ministering to the brethren. Ministering to the saints is a holy addiction enjoyed by few believers. It ought not to be so, brethren. To what are you addicted?

The secret of being content!

(Letters of John Newton)
"Godliness with contentment is great gain!" 1 Timothy 6:6A
ugust 17, 1776

My dear friend,

It befits every Christian to say--It is not necessary for me to be rich--or what the world accounts wise. It is not necessary for me to be healthy--or admired by my fellow-worms. It is not necessary for me to pass through life in a state of prosperity and outward comfort. These things may be, or they may not be--as the Lord in His wisdom shall appoint them for me. But it is necessary for me to be humble and spiritual, to seek communion with God, to adorn my profession of the Gospel, and to yield submissively to His disposal, in whatever way, whether of service or suffering--that He shall be pleased to call me to glorify Him in this world. It is not necessary for me to live long--but highly expedient that while I do live--I should live unto Him! Here then, I would bound my desires; and here, having His Word for my rule, I am secured from asking amiss. Let me have His presence, wisdom to know my calling, and opportunities and faithfulness to improve them; and as to the rest, Lord, help me to sincerely pray,
Whatever You will,
whenever You will, and
however You will.

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want!" Philippians 4:11-12